Former UConn Star, No. 8 Overall Pick Retires From NBA After 17 Seasons

The former Huskies wing played in over 1,000 NBA games

Manny Millan / Sports Illustrated via Getty Images

A former UConn Huskies star has retired from the NBA after 17 seasons.

ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on Tuesday that Rudy Gay has announced his retirement.

“After 17 NBA seasons, Rudy Gay is retiring,” Charania said.

“Gay, the No. 8 pick in the 2006 Draft out of UConn, averaged 15.8 points and 5.6 rebounds across 1,120 career games for the Grizzlies, Raptors, Kings, Spurs and Jazz.”

Gay finished No. 3 in Rookie of the Year voting for the 2006-07 NBA season. He last played for the Utah Jazz, appearing in 56 games for Utah in 2022-23.

Gay finishes with career averages of 15.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.1 steals in 1,120 regular season games. He also averaged 19.0 points per game for the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2011-12 playoffs and made two further appearances in the playoffs for the San Antonio Spurs in 2017-18 and 2018-19.

Gay played two years at UConn under Jim Calhoun. He was named Co-Big East Conference Rookie of the Year 2004-05 after earning Big East Rookie of the Week honors five times throughout the season.

Gay’s sophomore season as a Husky was incredible as he averaged a team-high 15.2 points per game and led UConn to a 30-3 record and an Elite Eight berth. He was nominated for Naismith College Player of the Year alongside JJ Redick, Adam Morrison, and Allan Ray.

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